Shq’apthut (The Gathering Place) on Vancouver Island University’s (VIU) Nanaimo campus is hosting a Ribbon Skirt and Ribbon Shirt Workshop from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on April 2, led by Melanie from Métis Nation BC. The workshop is open to 12 Indigenous students studying at VIU, with eight spots for skirt-making and four for shirt-making.
Ribbon skirts hold cultural significance in many Indigenous communities and are often associated with identity, ceremony, and personal storytelling. Students making shirts are required to bring their own dress shirt.
Melissa James, a first-year Bachelor of Business Administration student from Lil’wat Nation, said she attends events at Shq’apthut regularly, but was initially hesitant to get involved. “I was worried that I wouldn’t make any friends, but when I began attending, I had a really great experience,” she said.
James said she is particularly interested in attending the skirt-making workshop because it is something she learned about through her family. She said the process can take time, especially when deciding on ribbon colours, skirt length, and other design details.
Shq’apthut, built in 2009, hosts Indigenous cultural events to offer students opportunities to share Traditional culture while studying away from home. The space is shared by students and staff and is intended to support both cultural connection and community-building.
“They’re away from their home, they’re away from their culture,” said Brittany Salmon, an Indigenous Access Coordinator at Shq’apthut. “We try to bring a little piece of home to campus so that they can feel like they’re at home.”
Salmon said the events are intended to support Indigenous students from a range of Nations and backgrounds, while also creating opportunities for all students to engage with Indigenous culture and community on campus. Salmon said, “A lot of students assume that our building and services are only available to Indigenous students. This is not true; all students are welcome here.”
James said the space has also supported those trying to reconnect with their own identity. She described one young woman who is uncertain which Nation is her own. “She felt very connected in a way that she just hasn’t felt before,” James said. “People at Shq’apthut made her feel more spiritually connected. Everyone has helped her figure out where she’s from.”
James said previous workshops have also reintroduced her to traditional materials such as cedar. “It was very nice to touch the cedar again,” she said, adding that it was something she had been doing since the third grade.
Shq’apthut is also hosting a Dream Catcher Workshop led by Trevor Fraser on April 10 from 10 AM. to 2 PM. The session is open to all students and focuses on teaching participants how to create their own dream catcher while learning about its origins and symbolism. Dream catchers are often associated with protection and guidance in many Indigenous traditions. The workshop is limited to 10 students.
Troy Barnes is one of the two Indigenous Access Coordinators at Shq’apthut. He helps organize events, support students and promote Indigenous culture and community at VIU. “We hold events that have cultural significance, but we also host events that are fun, like bingo and trivia.”
Barnes said those activities help students feel more comfortable entering the space for the first time. “There’s a bit of reconciliation just in walking through these doors,” he said.
Both Salmon and Barnes said the VIU Indigenous Instagram account has improved awareness of upcoming events by posting registration details, updates and photos from past workshops. Register through VIU’s Experience Hub for future events at Shq’apthut.
